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 Replies: 5 / Views: 1,244 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4963 Posts |
As some of you may know, I spent last month working at an archaeological site in the Roman colony of Pollentia, in Northern Mallorca. I got the chance to ID a handful of coins that were found, and I actually found one myself on the second-to-last day, a tiny bronze with no visible design, which I suspect is just a common piece of LRB of Constantius II or the like. Anyway, the site director knows I'm interested in coins, so I got the chance to look through everything that was found in the 2013 season and has not been identified. I took as many pictures as possible with my phone (I apologize for the poor quality), and I've taken the opportunity to ID as many as possible, and there are some nice ones- the first I did was a massive bronze piece of Trajan that I initially suspected of being a medal due to the ridiculously long obverse legend, but it turned out to be a dupondius. There's also a posthumous denarius of Divus Antoninus Pius struck under Marcus Aurelius (Aurelius RIC 431), a really nice sestersius of Severus Alexander (RIC 500) and a few others that I can't remember at the moment. I also noticed a Republican denarius that I haven't identified yet. Anyway, I'm working on one large bronze piece, and I'm having trouble identifying it. I first read the legible part of the obverse legend as IMP TAELIVS CAESAR, withand interpreted the emperor's name as Taelius, but found no such person. I realized the T may be separate, and found that some coins were struck under Aelius Caesar during the reign of Hadrian. I looked through his Wildwinds page, but found that no coin with a Latin legend begins with IMP, as this one does. If anyone can help with this one, it would be greatly appreciated. The part of the obverse legend I stated earlier appears to be followed by 'ANTD...', and the reverse appears to features someone standing at an alter, with the legend beginning with 'THIB...', and 'S-C' in the field.  |
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21788 Posts |
Can't find a direct catalog number, so I am left to some reasoned specualtion, and therefore stand to be corrected.
Bust seems to be of Antotoninus Pius. The "IMP" may apply to Antoninus Pius.
Aelius as Caesar, was adopted by Antoninus Pius to be Imperator, but pre deceased him. A bust of Aelius at the time was probably not available for inspiration to the die cutters to copy onto coins.
The "ANTD" may in fact be 'ANTO'.
Perhaps this coin was issued by Antoninus Pius, very soon after Aelius was adopted as Caesar.
I suspect that this coin was minted locally, and not in Italy.
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
4963 Posts |
A quick Wikipedia search showed that Antoninus Pius's first name, as emperor, was Caesar Titus Aelius Hadrianus Antoninus Augustus Pius, could explain the 'T[ITVS] AELIVS CAESAR ANTO...'. I'll look through his page on Wildwinds and see if I find it. Thanks a lot for the suggestion!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4963 Posts |
Edited by Numisma
08/02/2016 02:09 am
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Moderator
 United States
23731 Posts |
That must have been a thrill working on a dig, I would have loved to do that in my younger days. The bust on this coin sure looked like AP to me also. Interesting how it turned out to be Hadrian, wish there was not of the reverse legend visible.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3443 Posts |
The bust is certainly Antoninus Pius and the T puzzled me also. But it can only be Antoninus as Caesar.
Great coin !
Antoninus held the rank of Caesar for such a brief period that I don't think I have ever seen such an issue before.
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Replies: 5 / Views: 1,244 |
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Posted 08/02/2016 12:01 am
